Air France expands live television on board

The Air France medium-haul fleet now offers complimentary access to TV channel France 24’s content on board. The media is available via an updated portal on the inflight wifi solution, streaming a wide selection of films, series and documentaries on their personal smartphone, tablet or PC. In addition to the stored content the portal also offers real-time access to the France 24 channel’s live stream in French and English.

Passengers can now stream content from France 24 to PEDs on more Air France flights

To date 15 aircraft in the single-aisle fleet have been equipped with the inflight connectivity kit from Global Eagle. That is double the number of aircraft that were online when the system launched at the end of January. Based on the estimates from the beginning of the year this projects just over 50 more installs expected later in the year, likely after the peak summer schedule closes. The carrier still anticipates full coverage of the fleet by the end of 2020.

Adding the live television and increased stored content options is part of a staggered growth plan for the available content and services on board Air France’s inflight entertainment and connectivity platform. Global Eagle previously indicated that it expected the rollout to happen over time as the carrier became comfortable with the operation and marketing of the different components.

The Stream package is not available on short/medium-haul flights. Yet. That is expected to change.

Similarly, it expects that Air France will eventually expand its short/medium-haul connectivity offerings to include a higher speed, streaming capable solution. That was not available on the single-aisle fleet when the service launched, though it was offered for twin-aisle aircraft running the Gogo 2Ku connectivity solution.

About Seth Miller

Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.

He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.